1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of devices for applying a predetermined pressure to a given weight of material placed in the device to squeeze out a portion of the liquid content of the material and for facilitating the removal of the remaining material in the device so that the weight of the remaining material can be readily and accurately determined.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ensilage is a succulent feed for livestock, particularly cattle which has nearly as much food value as fresh feed. Green grains and grasses such as corn, wheat, sorghum to be converted into ensilage are chopped into small pieces and stored in a silo. Because it is such a good food for cattle, it obviously has economic value, and thus is bought and sold. However, since ensilage is made from green plants, the moisture content of ensilage can and does vary widely. Thus, there is a need for a reliable apparatus to be used in determining moisture content of ensilage which is readily portable so that it can be taken where the ensilage is stored and which permits the desired measurements to be obtained quickly. It is also essential that the measurements be to an acceptable degree of accuracy. The power needed by the apparatus should be such that it can be provided from typical power sources that are readily available at silos. In the absence of any such power sources, the power required should be such that one person can easily provide it.
The prior art teaches weighing a sample to be tested, drying the sample until the moisture in it is substantially entirely removed and then reweighing the sample to calculate the original amount of moisture in the sample in terms of either its original or its dry weight. The prior art also teaches the use of electrically heated ovens to remove substantially all the moisture from a sample or of using microwave energy to dry out the moisture from a sample.
The prior art has also taught the application of a predetermined amount of pressure to a given quantity of vegetables, particularly peas, draining from the compressed vegetables moisture liberated by the pressure, and collecting the moisture squeezed out of the vegetables. The amount of moisture is used as an indication of the grade or quality of the vegetables after they are canned. The prior art apparatus referred to above is laboratory type equipment to which the samples are brought and thus does not meet the need for apparatus that is readily portable so that it can be taken to the material to be measured, that can operate without substantial quantities of electrical energy, and that can be used to measure quickly and with a sufficient degree of accuracy the moisture content of a sample of ensilage.